Also I tend to wear steel-toed safety boots everywhere, so any boot-to-door contact will hopefully go in my favour.

Just remember that what you look like and how you portray yourself to any copper will have a lot of impact on the outcome of what you say.

If it's clearly obvious that you're not some pavement bike warrior who's looking at his every opportunity to pull tricks, that you're wearing the right kit and ride a half decent bike, then it's more than likely you'll get away with it however, look like, sound like and act like a dick on a bike, expect the outcome to be different (regardless of how justified you feel in your actions.)

Just remember that what you look like and how you portray yourself to any copper will have a lot of impact on the outcome of what you say.

If it's clearly obvious that you're not some pavement bike warrior who's looking at his every opportunity to pull tricks, that you're wearing the right kit and ride a half decent bike, then it's more than likely you'll get away with it however, look like, sound like and act like a dick on a bike, expect the outcome to be different (regardless of how justified you feel in your actions.)

For sure, I'm not looking for trouble (at 5'6 with glasses I don't exactly cut an imposing figure).

I have a pair of carbon fiber reinforced cycling shoes and have kicked the doors/sides of at least 3 vehicles who's drivers were either fucking idiots or were being intentional cunts.On the last occasion I got stopped by the police - the driver had reported me from his car and I was unfortunate enough not to be close enough to home. Anyway, the copper asked me if I'd kicked the car, to which I responded that I had. This was due to the fact that the car had almost cut me off, leaving me with less than a foot of space between the car and the pavement, I started to loose control and brought my feet off the peddles to help stabilise my balance. The copper agreed that this reaction would be entirely understandable and reasonable.I explained that in regaining control I accidentally made contact with his nearside door and additionally shouted at the driver to raise his awareness of my presence. I immediately noted that the driver was being visually aggressive with me (hand gestures) and therefore decided it wouldn't be good judgement to stop and discuss the matter. My intent was to get home and call the police and report the matter.I then went on to explain that given the dynamics involved, the only reasonable way I would be in a position to make contact with a moving car in such circumstances were, if we were far to close together and, that the risks involved to my safety would be significant. The copper took a statement and I heard nothing again.The driver had a royal fucking dent in his door !Attachment 14410:-)

Damn that's a nice bike, all I have is a cheap ass mongoose lol. Do you do any off-roading with it??

I used to ride 10 miles to and from work on my bike, but its been cold and I've decided I'd rather do bagwork and jumprope in the morning. Anyway, here's my bikes:

This one's my commuter, and my nicer bike. Stuff I like about it over bikes in the past:
-Road bike tires (the skinny ones) are the **** if you get good ones. They're so much more efficient than others. It might seem like you're more likely to pop them, but if you think about it its actually a little less likely

-rear rack to accomodate panniers/bike bag: makes carrying **** way easier, and keeps your back from getting all sweaty from wearing a backpack

More general notes:
-get a good floor pump for your tires. Keeping tires well inflated makes biking easier, prolongs tire life, and protects you from getting flats. With a good pump, you can do this comfortably before each ride.

-be overly cautious about being visible. My bike has 2 bright headlights, a multi-colored rear light, and four spoke lights- I look like a party going by at night. In the event that you are hit by a car, all of your visibility precautions will probably work in your favor if you go to court.

-wear a dang helmet.

-some gloves are a good investment. Riding many miles can be hard on the hands.

-get at least one lock. I recommend a decent U lock since they're harder to cut through than a cable lock. I actually carry both on my bike though. The cable lock is useful if I can't find a pole to U-lock to, or if I just want some extra protection. If you have both, I think its best to U lock the frame to a pole and have the cable go through both wheels.

-If you get into a yelling match and someone says they'll kick your ass, tell them they'd better pack a lunch.

-don't be afraid to navigate like a car. Since most people learn to bike when they're kids, they stick to a lot of habits like staying off to the right of the road then using the crosswalk, instead of getting in the left turn lane. A lot of times, trying to stay separate from the cars can get you not noticed, and that's when bad stuff happens. Don't be afraid to be that douchey cyclist yelling "on your left!" and "Share the road, asshole!"

-regarding flat tires, I recommend carrying a spare inner tube, a patch kit and an inflation device. I use a C02 inflator, which I hear will leak out faster than hand-pumped air because its a smaller molecule, but its just so much easier. Anyway, a spare tube is the easiest way to fix a flat, since instead of looking for the puncture, buffing it, gluing the patch, standing on it, and hoping it works, you could just throw a new one in. The patch kit is just in case the new one gets popped too.

-unrelated note: used road bike inner tubes make decent grips for rattan fighting sticks when cut into short lengths.